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Rio 2016’s defending Olympic Champions

The Rio 2016 Olympic Boxing competition will see five reigning champions looking to defend their titles and become part of only a select few ever to have won multiple Olympic Boxing gold medals.

Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez emerged victorious from an incredibly tough flyweight competition at London 2012, before making the move up to bantamweight. The lightening-fast southpaw will have to deliver his very best once again in Rio if he is to join the Olympic elite with a second gold.

Ramirez’s compatriot Roniel Iglesias’ combination of Cuban flair with a rugged resilience has already seen him win Olympic the light-welterweight bronze and then gold in Beijing and London, and after a superb WSB-winning season with the Domadores, he will be one of the big favourites for gold in Rio.

All three champions from the first-ever Women’s Olympic Boxing competition in London four years ago will also be returning to defend their titles, adding an extra layer of intrigue to what is set to be a gripping tournament. Team GB’s Nicola Adams is one of the most experienced flyweights around, but a young and determined field will be looking to make its mark. The same can be said for the lightweight competition, where Ireland’s Katie Taylor has been so dominant for so long, while America’s very own ‘T-Rex’, Claressa Shields, has been in incredible form since her 2012 triumph, and will need little added incentive as she drives towards back-to-back titles.